10th All-Africa Games-Host Zambia backs out |28 March 2009

According to reports, escalating food prices, declining commodity prices affecting copper and cobalt earnings, and a fall in government revenue because of the global financial crisis have forced the Zambian government to pull out.

This is the second time that Zambia, after successfully bidding for a continental sports event, has failed to host it. Zambia won the bid to host the 1988 African Cup of Nations only to withdraw. Morocco stepped in to host the tournament.

It is estimated that hosting the All-Africa Games was going to cost Zambia a colossal K800 billion (around US $230,000).
The Zambian government has decided to shift that money to identified priority areas, including food production, hospitals, schools, water and sanitation and roads.

However, construction of sports infrastructure will be unaffected as work is already in progress.